Gallery Talk: The Richardsons. A Newcastle Family of Artists

(No booking required. Free entry for Friends of the Shipley, £2 for non-members).

Thomas Miles Richardson, Senior (1784-1848) has been called ‘The Father of Fine Arts in Newcastle’. The leading artist in the area during the early 19th century, he was a key figure in the foundation of the Northumberland Institution for the Promotion of the Fine Arts, and was later instrumental in creating the Northern Academy of Arts, establishing Newcastle and the North East as an important regional centre of culture.

Richardson passed on his skills to his sons and nephews, several of whom also went on to become distinguished artists. By the 1840s the Richardson family dominated the arts in the North East, and were also making their name in Edinburgh and London. The scenes they captured, both at home and abroad, today form a fascinating record of the rapidly changing landscapes and ways of life in the 19th century, and this lecture will explore not only a selection of the family’s work, but also the wider context of their art practice.

Marie-Thérèse Mayne is Assistant Keeper of Fine and Decorative Arts at the Laing. She specialises in 19th and early 20th century fine art, especially the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and the work of women artists throughout the history of art. She also has a particular interest in the work of local artists.

This talk is organised by the Friends of the Shipley. Non-members are welcome to attend.

For more information please contact the Friends of the Shipley Art Gallery on 0191 284 2797.